Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-28
TIE PITCHER,S LET.
c"rpes, Shoots, Raises, a,.d Drops from ,

art was attained. Arthur Cummings, a
Brooklyn youth, was the first to bring
into use the out-curve. He was known
US the boy wonder, back in 1869. with
the Stars, of Brooklyn. l have heard
him tell how he first discovered the
curve. He was pitching against a
picked nine one day and noticed the
ball curying. He had no difficulty in
striking the batsmen out, and went
home that night and tried to study out
the phenomenon. The next day he in
vited some gentlemen friends out to see
him work. Their laughed at him, and
when he tried to convince them that he
could accomplish what he claimed he
failed, as no doubt in his anxiety he
sent the ball too fast, and very little
curve can be got on speedy pitched
ball. He was not discouraged, how
ever, but went out with his catcher the
next day and learned that the curve
came from o certain twist which he
gave his wrist. He worked hard until
he got good control of the new move
and then astonished the scientific
world. Cummings was of slight build,
his pitching was very graceful, and his
curve was of the sailing kind, much
like Caruther's OF the st. Louis Browns.
In 1873, Avery, tho famous Yale
pitcher, discovered the "in-shoot." I
don't think he could curve ball, Mt
least never saw him do it, and I hit
against his pitching several times. His
effectiveness was handicapped by the
inability of his catchers to hold him, as
without doubt the "in-shoot" is the most
difficult ball to handle, for in those
days the catchers We're not protected
with gloves or masks.
Fred Nichols, better known as
"Tricky Nick" was the first to make
good use of the drop ball. He was a
great puzzle to the heavy hitters in
1896. at Bridgeport and New Ha-
ven, Conn, Nichols got great drop on
the ball, when pitchers had to keep
their hand below the belt, which would
puzzle any of our twirlers Of the present
day to accomplish.
Matthews was undoubtedly the first
pitcher to work the raise ball, az far
back as 1869. l never saw him pitch
an out-curve until 1878, and
faced his pitching for several years
before that. In 1873 Matthews was
with the Worcesters, and pitched
against the Bostons, defeating them.
He had changed his style altogether
from previous years and adopted one
arm Days style. that is, making a
double motion by drawing back before
delivering the ball. With his head
work and the addition of the curve he
jumped into the front ranks once
more.
The next ball that seemed to bother
the batters was introduced by McCor-
mick, of the Stars of Syracuse. This
young pitcher had Mike Dorgan, now
of the New Yorks for catcher. They
shut out about all the crack clubs of
the country that paid them a visit. The
ball he deceived the batsmen with was
a raise curve, now used by Radbourn,
of the Bostons. He gave his field easy
chances; the out-feld had most of the
work to do off his pitching. I never
saw him pitch ball below mans
belt. He had perfect control of the
ball and cool head.
The curve drop was first worked by
"the only Nolan" at Columbus, Ohio,
in 1876. For several seasons he fooled
the best batsmen.
ALI these different curves, raises,
shoots, and drops were discovered by
differentpeople. It is now no unusual
thing to find pitcher with all these
points and many more wrinkles that
they keep working up. Change Of
pace was most beautifully illustrated
by AL Spalding in the old Boston
champions. Tim Keefe, of the New
Yorks, is now the most successful in
that line, while Clarkson, of the Chi
Cages, is also working the change OF
pace to good advantage. Will White
and John Ward were about the first tc
work the sharp curve and "in-shoot" as
fur back as 1878. One of the greatest
| pitchers, if not the greatest that eve,
twirled ball, was Charley Sweeney
who was with the Providence club il
| 1884 He was the first and only man
that I ever saw who could curve an out.
ball to left-hand batsman. Several
of the pitchers can get shoot, but his
was clean curve. He has the un
equaled record, up to the present day
of nineteen strike-outs in one game.
HEROIC LIVES 1T HOME.